Subjective

Subjective refers to phenomena tied to an individual's mind, feelings, beliefs, or perspective, rather than to external, verifiable facts. A subjective judgment depends on personal experience and cannot be universally confirmed by others. The term arises from Latin subjectivus, from subjectum “a subject,” and entered English via French and early modern use. In everyday language, opinions, tastes, and emotions are described as subjective, whereas measurements or facts are described as objective.

In philosophy and cognitive science, subjectivity denotes the first-person standpoint of a conscious actor. Subjectivity is contrasted with objectivity, which aims at describing the world independently of any single observer. Some theories address how perception, bias, culture, and language shape knowledge, leading to subjectivity being acknowledged rather than denied. Subjective experiences include feelings, preferences, and internal states; subjective symptoms in medicine include pain or fatigue reported by a patient rather than observed by a clinician. In aesthetics and ethics, judgments are often acknowledged as subjective, though critics may seek reasons or standards to support them. In law and statistics, "subjective" is used in contrast to "objective" or "standard"—for example, a subjective standard depends on personal beliefs, while an objective standard relies on external criteria.

Inter-subjectivity refers to the shared aspects of subjective experience across individuals, contributing to common understandings and norms. Subjectivity is not synonymous with bias, but bias introduces subjectivity into judgment. The concept is central in debates about relativism, truth, and the limits of knowledge.